This invention relates generally to systems for providing “fire and forget” type performance to small, lightweight weapons and to seeker missiles used in those systems.
“Fire-and-forget” is a type of missile guidance which does not require guidance after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target. “Fire and forget” type performance is usually obtained in an intelligent weapon using multi-mode sensing that use a guidance approach such as or similar to GPS guidance and that that initiates a search sequence, goes through an acquisition sequence, then and identification process and begins a tracking sequence. This necessitates a complex seeker which needs a large airframe, which precludes a 30 pound weapons solution.
There is a need for a system that can be used in lightweight vehicles, such as lightweight small Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) vehicles, and can provide small, lightweight weapons capable of “Fire and Forget” type performance to defeat the next generation “Swarm Weapon Systems”, such as, groups of high speed attack boats armed with anti ship weapons.